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Meeting Preview: Pike Place Market and Other Wonderful Sites around the Washington State Convention Center

Dana D. Kopp, AHIP

At Pike Place Market you will see both tourists and locals shopping for souvenirs and produce at various vendors. Do you know someone who loves fresh fish? Have any of the fish counters at the market ship fresh fish, overnight, to any address you desire. If you are looking for a more traditional gift, look no further than the Craft’s Market, located in the North Arcade of Pike Place. The Craft’s Market is home to dozens of craftspeople selling their handmade wares. Sellers rotate each day, making each visit to Pike Place a unique experience.

Some of my favorite shops at Pike Place include:

Daily Dozen Doughnut Company, where they make fresh bite-sized donuts on site! Flavors vary from traditional plain and glazed to the tasty bacon maple donut. Bring cash, as they do not take credit cards.

MarketSpice, a tea and spice shop that has been at Pike Place for over 100 years. Their specialty tea blends are not to be missed. A favorite is the “Princess Grey,” which is a blend of Earl Grey, rose petals, and lavender flowers.

Though Pike Place shops close between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., many of its restaurants stay open for dinner. Lowell’s (eatatlowells.com) is a popular spot from open to close, not only for the fresh seafood, but also for the prime window seats that give diners a view of Elliott Bay. Another Pike Place favorite is theAlibi Room, a hip pizza and salad restaurant across the alley from the Unexpected Productionsimprov theater. This area, known as the “Post Alley,” is also home to the infamousGum Wall. The city has tried cleaning the wall several times over the past twenty-three years, but each time the wall is cleaned, shoppers immediately start redecorating the wall with chewed pieces of gum.

There are other unique-to-Seattle shopping opportunities outside of Pike Place. If you are looking for a good read in between lightning talks, look no further than the various independent bookstoresaround the convention center. Where should you read your new book? In a coffee shop, of course! One thing that Seattle is known for is its great coffee culture. Skip Starbucks and read about all of the independent coffee shopsaround the convention center. You have not had a good cup of coffee until you have had it in Seattle.

Had your fill of shopping? The Olympic Sculpture Parkis free and open 365 days of the year. It opens 30 minutes before sunrise and closes 30 minutes after the sunset. Do not miss an opportunity to view a sunset from the West Meadowof the park!

We hope you find Seattle as quirky, unexpected, and lovely as the MLA ’17 Local Assistance Committee does. Watch the MLA ’17 meeting blog to find more suggestions on what to do in and around Seattle.

Submitted by Kalyna Durbak, MLA ’17 Local Assistance Committee, 2017 National Program Committee

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